


Kennedy's Story: The 167th Alutine

by CommissarCorgi34



Series: New Blood in an Old Universe: Stories of the Imperial Guard [2]
Category: Warhammer 40.000
Genre: BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THE IMPERIAL GUARD, Battles and Plot, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Female Character, POV Original Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22475047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommissarCorgi34/pseuds/CommissarCorgi34
Summary: After weeks behind enemy lines, Lieutenant Kennedy and her squad manage to fight their way back to Imperium lines. Much to her shock, she's wanted for desertion. Mean while Commissar Madison uncovers an insidious threat in High Command. Can the women of the 167th root out the corruption before it's too late?
Series: New Blood in an Old Universe: Stories of the Imperial Guard [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051112
Kudos: 1





	1. Welcome Back, You're Wanted for Crimes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, welcome to the second part of my regiments backstory! It's fairly self contained, until the last couple chapters, but I'd still recommend reading Steele's Story first. Anyway, on with the story!

Lieutenant Kennedy

"Lieutenant Kennedy?" The man behind the desk asked me as my second in command helped drag me into the small waiting room.

"Yes, the Major sent me a summons." I told the half metal scribe who stared at the white wall for a minute before looking up to me and Veria.

"That was a week ago. This tardiness will be noted." He stated in a monotone voice.

"You'll have to excuse me on account of being pinned down behind enemy lines for two weeks." Veria snapped at the half human. He stared off into space again for a solid fifteen seconds.

"This has been noted." He responded. "She will see you now." He said and went back to staring as I guessed he sorted files or whatever these weird scribes did. I limped over to the door as Veria opened it. I walked in to see the Major in her immaculate uniform with her over-sized cap and jacket on. I always found it odd how her jacket was three sizes bigger than needed and was worn no matter what the temperature was. I reluctantly went to attention and saluted which felt like I was stabbed in the ribs.

"Major." I grunted between ragged breaths. She inspected us with disdain, taking her time as I wheezed. I had my normal uniform on but I hadn't had time to change, much less visit the medicae. The once snow white parts of the uniform where now covered in dirt, ash, burns, and dried blood. I had blood soaked bandages wrapped around my grimy blue vest, with matching bandages on my head and leg. Veria wasn't much better as she had her longlas on her back, and her arm in a sling. She was also cover head to toe in dirt and grime.

"At ease." She said almost making me collapse but luckily Veria caught me with her arm.

"Excuse me Ma'am." I apologize. "I got your message before I was able to stop by the medicae so I am still not at full health. May I sit?" I asked her making her frown as she thought about it.

"You may." She said reluctantly. "And why did you bring her?" She asked waving her hand to Veria whose face was clouded with anger.

"I couldn't walk on my own, so I brought my most trusted woman to help me." I told her calmly as I grunted lowering myself into the chair. "I did not want to delay you anymore then I already have."

"Delayed is an understatement Lieutenant." She said making Veria snap.

"You'll have to excuse us, we were just pinned down behind enemy lines for two weeks!" She snarled but I held up my hand.

"That's enough!" I told her forcefully, making her grumble and step back. "My apologies Ma'am. Tensions are high after our mission, are supplies were not intended to last for that long."

"Yes, because you were sent in to assassinate the leader and call in an extraction. It was not a complicated mission!" The Major stressed.

"Ma'am, the cult you sent us into was much more powerful than expected." I told her. "There were four times the numbers expected."

"Not to mention it was a frakking trap! They knew we were coming and shot us out the sky!" Veria put in but I only held up my hand.

"She has a point Major, they were expecting us." I told her.

"Are you accusing me of tipping off the enemy Major?" She growled.

"No Ma'am, but I would personally suggest an investigation into anyone who knew." I told her calmly.

"You are not the Major here, so that is not your call Lieutenant!" She snapped back.

"No it is not Ma'am." I nodded. "So may I ask why I was called in?"

"Yes, I would like to discuss your command team and your rank." She said shifting to grab several thick files. I sighed knowing exactly what was going to happen. I had this conversation so many times. "You have surrounded yourself with a variable rogues gallery Lieutenant." She said opening the first file.

"I also trust my team with my life." I told her.

"Oh really?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Private Phoebe. Heavy Weapons specialist. Heavy Flamer. But I see that she was only issued a flamer, not a heavy flamer. I also see there are quite a few citations for techheresy here."

"Yes, she petitioned for a heavy flamer multiple but was denied, so she improvised." I shrugged. "That flamer is the only reason I'm alive right now as she was able to hold off many of the cultists."

"Private Kaitlyns A.K.A Katie. Vox op. I see that she has had some problems with officers in the past."

"They didn't respect her, so she didn't respect them." I explained tiredly.

"She had something to do with a commissar stepping down?" She asked looking confused.

"The Commissar was fraternizing with a member of the Medicae, Katie found this out, and decided to bring this to light." I told her. "She did not do this in an appropriate manner which lead to the commissar resigning. Unfortunately this lead to the unfortunate Medicae having to step down, so I recruited her as my personal squad medic."

"Yes… I see that." She said thumbing through the file before picking up the next one. "As for your other special weapon expert." She said glancing at the women who was taking deep breaths, trying to not lose her cool like she often did. "Several drunk altercations, and I see here a report of weapon discharge off of the firing range." She said as Veria stepped forward.

"Ma'am, that was a friendly competition with some of the the ra- uh… Auxilaries." She told the Major.

"So you claim in the report but these auxilaries were nowhere to be found when the guards found you." The Major stated.

"That's what ratlings do! They scamper away and no one ever sees them!" She protested as her voice raised.

"Never-the-less you discharged a weapon off of the firing range which is a punishable offense." She stated coldly. "And you Lieutenant." She said sifting through the last folder. I let myself breath out quietly as no CO had ever found anything in that file. "The same as the rest," She started making me start in confusion. "A request for summary execution due to dissertation of your post."

"What!?" Veria and I shrieked in unison.

"Yes, you were given orders a week ago but you neglected this assignment leading to your branding as deserters." She explained like this was a completely normal course of action.

"What the frak!? We were fighting for our Emperor damned lives!" Veria shouted marching towards the desk.

"This is absurd!" I told the unmoved commander. "My women were fighting and dying for this army and you now want to execute us?"

"I don't make the rules. You did not report for your duty Lieutenant, you therefore are a deserter." She told me. Veria slammed her fist on the table.

"This is groxshit!" She shouted as I tried to restrain her.

"Veria, you need to calm down!" I urged her as the door smashed open as guards came in.

"This is a mistake!" I shouted as the guard yanked me to my feet which felt like my chest was ripping like fabric.

"I don't think it is Lieutenant." She smiled cruelly as Veria pulled out of one of the guards grasp and punched him but her hand met with a crunch. She cried out in pain, holding her injured hand before she was slammed to the floor and a rifle cracked into the back of her head. "Take them to the brig with the rest of their squad."


	2. Brawl at a Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commissar Madsen discovers corruption in High Command.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Here is the first chapter with our other main commander, Commissar Madsen. Hope you enjoy!

Commissar Madsen

****

"I hate these formal events." I muttered as I checked over my uniform in the mirror as my mentor smiled. We were getting ready for a meeting with High Command in the capital hive city.

"Our rank is a political officer, this is our job." The older man smiled. He was a tall and thin man with weathered leathery skin. He had a thick white mustache over his thin smile and little wisps of white hair under his large commissarial hat. His white sash denoted his position as Lord Commissar over my scarlet sash of a Commissar. Otherwise our uniforms were the same as every other Commissar. He had an ornate saber at his side opposite of his augmented right arm.

"I just feel I should be out in the field." I said as he smiled softly.

"I know Madsen, I felt the same at your age. But these events boost the moral of the citizens and help us make sure that High Command is getting things done." Thorsten told me as I checked over my plasma pistol. The door opened and a man in a suit came in.

"My lord, meeting is starting." He told us.

"Thank you." Thorsten told the man. I followed him into the conference room and surveyed the room. The table was a long table with at least ten seats on each side with one at the head of the table. Several people stood along the walls, a pair of skitarii rangers stood behind a techpriest I recognized, while the rest were mostly just mercenaries who were milling around talking. Our vanguard stood out from the others as they were in the regiments colorful uniforms and stood at attention. I saluted the two women who crisply returned the salute. The two twin sisters had served with me since I was a junior commissar.

"Gemini." I greeted them with a smile as I used their nickname.

"Ma'am." They nodded with a slight smile. Lord Commissar Thorsten greeted the two Cadians who stood behind his seat. One had a bionic eye and a good chunk of his lower jaw was augmented too. The other had two metal legs and his otherwise handsome face was ruined by deep scarring. They were both obviously veterans and had been assigned to protect the commissar for twenty years now. I had known them for a couple years now as I served under Thorsten, but I never did find out their real names, so I always called them by their squad nicknames. They saluted me as well.

"Ma'am." Scars greeted as Iron Jaw didn't talk much even before half his jaw was ripped off by a genestealer.

"Boys." I nodded.

"Ain't this a lot of hired guns for a meeting?" He asked Thorsten.

"It is, they've been multiplying like sump rats." He confirmed. "I don't like it. I have no idea where they are getting these mercenaries but they're starting to outnumber our own troops…" He said staring at the men who glanced at us while talking. "Stay on alert." He told them as the Lord Commander walked in. We all stood at attention as she sat in her large luxurious seat at the head of the table.

"At ease." She said after staring at us for a second. "Shall we begin?" She said as one of the women cleared her throat.

"We have word on the AWOL unit of the western edge. They have returned, but the Major has already apprehended them." The scribe reported. "Their execution is already planned."

"Excuse me ma'am, but why would they do that?" I asked the scribe.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I mean, why would they return after going AWOL? They already got away without punishment, why would they return just to be executed?" I asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the light nod of Thorsten's head, apparently I was asking the right questions.

"I don't attempt to understand the traitor Commissar." The woman replied briskly.

"Well as that is my job, I would like to interrogate these deserters." I told them. "If guardsman are deserting, that is a clear sign of wavering moral." I told them, which while completely true, was a good excuse to get back in the field.

"The execution has already been ordered Ma'am." She told me but before I could respond Thorsten cut in.

"As members of the Commissariat, we are the authority on moral issues and punishments steaming from them." He told them. "So if Commissar Madsen believes there is a moral problem, you will accommodate her investigation, unless you'd like her to report you for impeding official Commissariat business." Interrupted my mentor.

"Actually sir, I don't have the pull for discipline of a member of high command." I told him.

"Well remembered, but I have that authority." He smiled as he placed his bolt pistol on the table. The officer paled as all of the mercenaries in the room started to shift. Our guards barely shifted but I knew the four enough to know that the safeties were off and targets were picked.

"Are you threatening my high command Commissar?" The Lord asked as she stood to look imposing but the older man only smiled thinly and stayed sitting, looking relaxed to the untrained eye.

"No my Lord, I am just reminding your High Command what my job is." He told her evenly. "And I am starting to question your dedication to the cause of the Emperor. I have seen no reinforcements for pressed areas, but many reinforcements to insignificant outposts. I also have to question where these mercenaries are coming from, and how you are paying them if you say that you have no money to get more equipment for our soldiers." He told them as I slowly drew my bolt pistol under the table as it was too close range for my plasma pistol.

"How dare you!" She shouted as she rose up even bigger. "I am tired of your interference with the broods plans!" She reached for her pistol but was cut in half by bolt shells from Toresten's pistol that was still on the table. We both stood with our pistols out sweeping across the mercenaries who had all grabbed their weapons.

"All of you who have turned from the light of the Emperor, your deceit is in the open. I will give you the Emperor's Mercy!" He announced before one mercenary leapt at us but three ruby red hellgun rounds ripped through him as Iron Jaw growled in satisfaction.

"We are loyal to the Omnissah!" The techpriest told us as we continued our standoff.

"I'm glad to hear it KZE-568." I told the priest as I eyed up a twitchy mercenary.

"Orders sir?" Scars asked as he aimed his volley gun.

"Cover the cogs." He told them. "KZE-568 would you please get to the exit, and then cover us?" He said but as soon as the skitarii moved the mercenaries decided this was their moment to rush us. Scars opening salvo cut the attackers closest to the techpriest apart as I put a bolt round in ones chest blowing two of its three arms off. I went for the closest one but it caught the bolter before I could shoot him so I backhanded the hybrid with my powerfist causing it to fold in half and fly across the room. I fired and winged another one with a shriek as one was cut in half by Torestens power sword. I heard a scream inlaid with binary as one attacked the techpriest, going over the destroyed body of a ranger. I sprinted over firing my pistol which caused the mutant to turn with a hiss before my fist turned its head into a red mist. I rolled over the techpriest but it was obvious he was beyond saving.

"Watch out!" I heard the croaking voice of Iron Jaw shout. Thorsten rose his sword a second too late before a claw ripped through his armor like it was nothing. The hybrid shrieked in triumph before a volley of hellgun rounds ripped through it. I shouted and charged as another one slashed a blade across Iron Jaws chest dropping the Cadian before a pair of bayonets dropped the creature. I smashed another three armed monstrosity back but the clawed arm ripped a large gash in my arm. I shouted as I held the bleeding wound. I ran and knelt next to the wounded Lord Commissar.

"Frakk he was fast…" He coughed with a pained smile. Blood was gushing from the wound as he put his hands over it which only succeeded in covering his hands in blood.

"Can you move my Lord?" I asked him making him laugh and cough up more blood.

"I love your spirit my girl, but we both know I'm dead." He smiled as he struggled with his sash. "What I need is for you to take my sash…" He coughed as he pulled it off and pressed it into my hand, leaving a big bloody handprint on the white sash. He then pulled and weird box that was covered in pieces of metal and the signs of the mechanicium. "Take this Madsen." He said pressing it to my chest.

"No, we need to get you to…"

"Madsen!" He snapped at me. "You are in charge now. This army needs a leader, as you are n-now a Lord, you…" He retched up blood. "S-Save this world." He told me as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Ma'am, we need to go now!" One of the Gemini told me as she fired one handed.

"No, we…" I started but Scars cut me off.

"He's gone!" He snapped at me. "You're in charge now!" He shouted as he sent salvos into the mercenaries who were now pouring in through the doors.

"Ranger!" I shouted making the remaining cybernetic soldier look up from where he was pulling something out of the expired techpriests head. "You're with me now!" I told him as we started to back towards the door he was next to. "Frags!" I shouted as we lobbed grenades before sprinting out the door.

"What now Ma'am?" Scars asked as I turned to the skitarii.

"Do you know this facility?" I asked him.

"Well I don't just stand around looking pretty." He responded in a normal voice which caught me off guard as I wasn't used to a sarcastic cog.

"Can you get me something that'll let me send a call to every channel on the planet?"

"Find a big antenna?" He said. "I think I could do that."

"Then lead the way Coggy." One of the Gemini snapped back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get back with Madsen in a bit, but next chapter will be from the point of view of a new character! Hope you're enjoying it so far. Please let me know what you think!


	3. The Emperor's Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valerie, Kennedy's squad medic, must free her comrades, and push back the traitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Added a third point of view character, and had a lot of fun with her combat and skills. Hope you like it!

Valerie

****

"Where are you taking them?" I asked as the guards yanked up my squadmate from her medical bed. The man in front of me was absolutely hulking. He was a sickly grey mountain of muscle with a potato like head.

"The Major is ordering them brought to the brig." The Sargent grunted to me. "If you know where anyone else from her squad is tell me." He glared down at me. I thanked the Emperor for my Medicae uniform that I had put on as my uniform had been destroyed.

"I believe one said she was heading to the armory, after I fixed her up." I told the man after some thought.

"Good." He growled turning to his men. "Take her to the brig! The rest of the you with me, let's get to the armory!" He growled and they rushed off. As the other dragged the groggy Phoebe who was currently too drugged to understand what was happening. I watched until they left before letting out a blistering string of curses, earning me some glares from my former sisters. I tapped my commbead as I started to raid one of the nearby cabinets.

"Katie!" I snapped as I slipped on one of the hospitaller gauntlets which felt natural after all of my years using one.

"What?" A tired voice came back.

"Where are you?" I asked her as I grabbed a few bottles of sedative before grabbing my laspistol and strapped it to my belt, hidden under the flowing skirt.

"The vox room, why?" She asked as I hurried out of the tent.

"The MP's are rounding our squad up and taking us to the brig!" I told her as I ran through the crowded tent of our makeshift command center.

"Why in the Warp would they do that?" She asked.

"Frakk if I know!" I told her. "I just have a feeling it isn't good!"

"Let me check the channels real fast, they should have a channel for the MP's."

"That'll be encrypted won't it?" I asked her as I barely dodged running into a group of soldiers.

"Has that ever stopped me Val?" I could hear her cocky smirk. "Wait, what in the Golden Throne?"

"Did you find something?" I asked as I caught sight of the largest building on the base.

"Yeah, apparently we are being brought in for desertion!" She shouted causing me to spill out curses. I was cut off by a blaring voice across my commbead.

"This is Lord Commissar Madsen." The women's voice was forceful but I could hear a minuscule waiver in it. "High Command is under attack. We have traitors in our ranks. They have killed Lord Commissar Thorsten." She announced. "I am acquisitioning all units in the 167th to gather what forces they can and get to the planetary capital. These traitors must be punished! May the Emperor protect you and guild your blades." The messaged started to loop.

"Well, that explains the charges." Katie commented. "What do we do?" She asked.

"You, go gather up what forces you can." I told her as I slammed through the doors to the building. "I'm going to get Phoebe and then we'll meet up."

"Where?" She asked.

"The barracks. Get them ready to take the garage because we are going to need some vehicles. Also get a hold of Kennedy." I told her before clicking my commbead off. I turned the corner to see two nervous cadets in front of the doors to the brig. They looked over and the shorter one stepped forward.

"Halt!" He said as the other nervously gripped his lasgun as I stopped. "W-Why are you down here?" He asked nervously as I held up my hands.

"I was sent to treat the prisoners." I told them sweetly, flashing them both a slightly flirtatious smile.

"I didn't hear anything about them sending a Sister." The second one told the other one, his eyes flicking between his friend and me.

"I mean, the one was bleeding pretty bad." The one shrugged. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I should definitely check for weapons." He said with a nervous grin of an awkward teen which, to be fair, he was.

"Of course!" I smiled warmly as I tinkered with my gauntlet. I felt sorry for the two, they were just following bad orders. Him and his buddy had a quick conversation before he walked over, putting his gun over his shoulder on its strap. He walked up and started with my arms while I smiled at him making him blush and turn red. Once he started patting towards my gauntlet, I used the injector on my thumb to prick his thumb.

"Ow!" He yelped pulling back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I said as the other cadet ran up just in time to catch his friend as he collapsed.

"What did…" I cut him off with a injector of the same high powered sedative to his neck causing him to drop like a rock in a tangled pile with his friend.

"Oops. Sleep tight boys." I smirked before opening the door and entering the dark hallway were I saw a crowd of big brutes. I ducked down behind one of the many crates in the area.

"What are we supposed to do?" One of the big thugs asked his friends.

"Well, now we are in the open." Another responded as I peeked over and saw the cell they were protecting. I saw three people inside of it.

"It's too late for them to stop the brood now!" Another cackled as I stood up, confirming that they were hostiles.

"Hey!" The biggest of the four shouted at me as he lumbered towards me. "Who the frakk are you?" He grunted as he toward over me.

"I'm just here to get the prisoners." I told him smiling warmly.

"Oh yeah?" His friend grunted. "They going in for execution already?"

"Yes, so I'm here to take them to the execution." I said walking past the massive man.

"Wait… they still haven't found the two other brods…" One of the ones said standing between me and the cell where my squad watched me with interest as I froze.

"Oh yeah! Wasn't that the slut who screwed the commissar?" He said as I clenched my fist as my surgical blade whirled up making them all start in surprise.

"You really shouldn't have said that…" I growled between my clenched teeth.

"Why is th…" The giant brute didn't finish before I swung around, and smashed my well armored shin into the side of his knee causing it to buckle sideways. As he fell, I swung my gauntlet up. His neck met the whirling blade in a satisfying display of gore and pulverized bone. I pulled back with the blade whirling, my face and armor splattered with blood as his head rolled past the stunned men.

"Who's next?" I growled at the three stunned men. The first one to react took two shots from my laspistol to the shoulder and head dropping his steaming corpse. I parried a swung pipe with my armored left wrist and slashed the man's arm causing it to be ripped open as he crumpled to the ground before I kicked him in the side of the head, shutting his whining up. The last took a lasbolt to each leg before my blade tore open his neck. I dropped the body and looked up to see Pheobe's eyes were wide as she looked at me, covered in gore and surrounded by corpses. I snapped out of my rage and found the keys to release them.

"Remind me not to piss you off Valarie!" She said as I pulled the cell doors.

"Can they walk?" I asked trying to ignore what I had just done. My job was to heal people, not slaughter them, yet here I was again, my emotions getting the best of me. I tried to wake up Kennedy but she just groaned. I fiddled with my gauntlet before injecting my commander with stimulant causing her eyes to fly open.

"What in the?!" She shouted with a start.

"Wow there!" I said grabbing her shoulder. "You're safe Ma'am!" I reassured her.

"Why the hell am I here?" She asked.

"The cult infiltrated high command, and the Major seems to want us dead!" I explained to her as I helped her up as Pheobe ran over grabbed and kissed her abomination of a flamer.

"Oh mama missed you!" She cooed before swinging her armored reserve fuel pack on to her back before hefting the strap on to her shoulder. I grabbed Kennedy's weapons and handed it to her.

"Sit down for a second Ma'am, you can't walk on that leg like this, let my check it out." I told her as she graciously sat down of a nearby container, almost immediately falling asleep despite the stim. I undid the bindings and fiddled with the gauntlet as I looked at the wound. She had taken a sword slash across the leg that was luckily not deep enough to hit bone. I had patched it in the field but I hadn't had the equipment to figure out why the bleeding was worsening as the mission went on. I stood and checked her dog tags before grabbing the correct bag from my pack. "Veria, can you hold this for me?" I asked as I inserted the needle into her arm. The marksmen put down her longlas and grabbed it from me. "Hold it it up and apply light pressure." She nodded in response.

I then knelt back down to her thigh and sprayed a local anesthetic as I mumbled the correct hymns of healing. The melodious rhymes felt comforting and reminded me of being back in training with my sisters. I couldn't help feel a tug of regret as I thought about my fall from grace with the sisters I had been raised with, only a few even would talk to me anymore. But thanks to Kennedy I had new sisters, albeit slightly crazy ones. I opened the wound and found the marks were I had sealed off the bleeding but a small hole at the top of the wound was trickling blood. I grabbed my tweezers and after another burst of numbing agent reached in until the metal clacked against something hard. I grabbed it and pulled it out to look at it.

"What is that?" Veria asked me.

"The tip the the sword that hit her." I said dropping it in a bag to study later in case it was poisoned. "It must have broke off and in my rush I didn't see it earlier so it worked in deeper causing more bleeding." I said before going back to cleaning her wound while singing more hymns of cleansing. I then used what amounted to a large stapler to close the wound. "Okay, I'm not going anywhere without you again." I said praising the little machine spirit in my gauntlet.

"Am I good to move again?" Kennedy asked as I took out the needle in her arm which woke her up.

"You are good to go, but if we get the chance, I'd like to do a more thorough checkup on you and pretty much everyone else in the squad." I told her.

"Of course but right now we got to get some transport and get to the capital." She said as she stood and drew her pistol and sword. "Let's go ladies!" She commanded as we started towards the exit.

"Katie, we need a sitrep!" I said into the commbead on the squad network so everyone could hear. What we heard was a string of curses that'd get Katie sent to the repenta squads if she was a sister as well as the sounds of gunfire.

"The sitrep is FUBAR!" She shouted back. "The mercs and half the 337th have turned on us! I got reports of pockets that are pinned down all over the camp."

"What's your position?" Kennedy asked.

"Holed up in the woods by our camp." She reported. "Losses are surprisingly light but we are pinned down by heavy stubbers and heavy bolters. The only thing we got is a squad of mortars keeping them from advancing on us."

"Sit tight, we are on our way!" Kennedy told her as she opened the door. We all ducked and slammed ourselves against the wall as we heard the bark of a heavy stubber. Kennedy stuck her head out and gestured us to be quiet and split up as we followed her. I crept up across from Kennedy as we turned a corner to see the source of the chattering heavy stubber. At the entrance to the building four mercenaries had set up a sandbag emplacement. They were firing at one of the squads in our company that was hiding behind vehicles that were scattered around the loading area for cargo ships. Kennedy smiled and stood and announced loudly to Pheobe.

"Pheobe would you be so kind to get rid of these traitors?" Pheobe smiled ear to ear as she stepped out turning nozzles and checked gauges. The mercs all turned and looked stunned.

"With pleasure! Come on baby, show these xeno lovers what you can do." She cooed in a proud motherly tone to the machine spirit of her flamer.

"How did they…" The man was cut off as a torrent of flames caught all four men and their position on fire as they screamed but almost immediately fell silent as they fell to the ground.

"Good girl!" Pheobe whispered to the psychotic machine spirit of her weapon. The squad they had pinned down started to get out of cover smiling when they saw us as a few instinctively started to sweep the area for threats.

"Medic!" One woman shouted causing me to instinctively run over.

"What happened?" I asked as a jogged over.

"She was the first to come here and was hit by the heavy stubber!" She said as she rounded the corner to see a woman on the ground with a uniform wrapped around her bleeding chest. The woman next to her was kneeling down applying pressure to the wound.

"Let me see the wound." I told her gently as I pulled her arms out of the way. I numbed it before looking it over. "Frakk." I filled the hole with a coagulant agent to slow the bleeding. "Kennedy, we need to get her to the medicae. They have the time and resources for this, I don't." I told her.

"We could use the fire power too." She nodded. "Okay ladies, get her mobile and see if you can get the heavy stubber mobile. We are heading out in a minute!" She command as the women ran over and started breaking down the slightly singed heavy stubber. I tapped my commbead.

"Sister Caroline, come in!" I said.

"Valerie, I don't have time to talk to you!" She growled before I heard the bark of a bolter.

"I have wounded and a small group of loyalists."

"Well, if you could help clear out these filthy xenos, then we might be able to help! Fear the Emperor's Light traitors!" She shouted as I heard more bolter fire.

"The Medicae sisters are under attack!" I told Kennedy.

"Then we need to move." She said grimly. "Let's go, the Sisters need our help!" She shouted as we started to jog towards the medicae tent. I pulled out my laspistol again as we weaved through the tents, following the sound of bolter fire. We heard a large boom causing us all to instinctively duck before a bunch of guardswomen burst out of one of the tents as we all raised our guns.

"Identify yourselves!" Kennedy shouted as the ragged squad looked up.

"Loyalists!" The sargent shouted who was still clinging to her chainsword despite it missing most of its teeth. "The traitors are attacking the Sisters!" She cried in outrage.

"We are here to help, where are they?" She asked as she walked up to the ragged sargent.

"We are about twenty five yards behind their lines." She told Kennedy as she pulled a bulky bolter off of her back and cleared a jammed shell. "We were able to send a box of frags raining down on them." She grinned grimly. "But half of my squad was killed in the retreat." She said as I saw her get choked up but Kennedy put her hand on her shoulder.

"You did better than anyone could have asked." She told her softly. "I want you to take half of the forces to the other flank."

"Really?" She asked confused.

"Of course, consider yourself promoted." She smiled. "Listen for my word to attack, and take the stubber with you." She said as the woman thanked her and started grabbing people to help her. "Valerie, get on the horn with the Sisters. Have them press the middle on my command." I nodded.

"Yes Ma'am!" I told her as I tapped my commbead and relayed the message.

We moved into position where we could see the mercenaries and traitors firing on the Sisters who were using crates as a makeshift defense line. I saw a few of my order splayed out on the ground which made my blood boil. I heard one high pitched crying above the others that was in no mans land. I saw a crater and a mangled arm laying in the crater. I saw dyed white hair poking up from behind a broken crate that offered little cover to the Sister behind it. My instincts kicked in as I broke from our cover in a full sprint.

"What the in the warp are you doing?" Kennedy growled into my comm as I absentmindedly dropped three on the traitors with a frag grenade causing the others to shout out and turn as they started opening up.

"Frakk." She cursed before standing. "Now!" Our line erupted in lasfire as flames engulfed a stubber position and stubber fire lite up another.

Now I would like to say that I strode through the enemy, protected purely by the light of the Emperor. However, I'm a combat medic, so I know to duck and weave and generally looked like an idiot as I tried to weave through fifty people firing at me. If it weren't for the cover fire, I would've died. Even then I took a few glancing hits. As I got within five feet of the cover, a stubber round hit my armored shoulder which spun me around and I slammed into the grass. I growled and pulled myself to knees to look over my patient.

"Sister Nikki!" I shouted over the gunfire and screaming. "I'm here to help!" I told her as she looked up at me dazed.

"Val?" She asked confused as she looked up from her mangled arm.

"Yeah, it's me Nikki." I tried to smile comfortingly. The heavy stubber rounds had ripped her right arm apart and one round had found its way through the shattered carapace armor which now was welling blood.

"Why are you…" She trailed off as her head fell back but I caught it. I realized that there was a lot of blood coming from her shattered arm.

"Hey, no passing out on me Nikki!" I told her sternly as I injected her shoulder with painkillers. I grabbed my bag and pulled out a tourniquet and slipped it around her arm and tightened it until the stream of blood slowed. I then used a piece of gauze to soak up some of the blood in the hole in her chest before praying as I heated a probe which I pressed against the wall of the wound with a hiss as she screamed. I luckily had done this enough times to know to hold her down as I cauterized the wound. I canted the hymn of cleansing as I did it and she joined in drunkenly from blood loss. I pulling back and examining the mangled arm. I could no longer tell where the elbow used to be and the hand was about ten feet away. I sadly realized what I needed to do. I revved my blade as I held down her arm, right at the shoulder and started to cut through what was the end of her bicep. She thrashed and screamed despite the painkillers as I grimly chanted hymns of sacrifice and healing. The blade tugged as it ran out of flesh to carve as I praised the machine spirit in it. I quickly covered the wound which slowly leaked blood as the tourniquet did its job. I looked over the cover and saw the battle winding down as Pheobe incinerated the last of the traitors. I gently lifted my slightly built former friend and carried her to the medicae tent. "I got a critical!" I shouted as two Sisters ran out to take her from me before I turned and ran back towards where Kennedy was instructing women while someone shouted for a medic.

"Medic!" The woman shouted. As I ran up and knelt down next to her.

"What's the situation?" I asked as I looked over the young brunette who was struggling to breath as blood welled from the hole in her chest.

"She took a stubber round to the chest." She stated though it could already obviously see that. "Is she going to be okay doc?" I winced at the nickname, doctors could fix damn near anything but I wasn't a doctor, I was a medic.

"Hey sweetie, you're going to be fine." I lied to the young girl who nodded weakly, as if my words comforted her. "Let me give you something for the pain." I said as the plunger sent the Emperor's mercy into her system. She slowly closed her eyes with a peaceful look on her face. I said a quick prayer before looking at her friend. "She's done her duty to the Emperor, she's gone to the Golden Throne." I told her putting my hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were filled with tears as she nodded.

"Valerie, I need you over here!" Kennedy shouted as I nodded and jogged over. "Okay we need to secure the motor pool. The place is overrun so we just need to pick up what loyalists we can and get to the capital to help the Commissar." She said as we all nodded as she activated her commbead. "Katie, I need a sitrep."

"Well, I decided some sabotage was in order." We heard the bark of stub pistols. "I told you, give up ya xeno loving bastards!" She shouted before we heard her lasgun reply. "I might be a bit pinned down…" She replied making Kennedy sigh.

"Veria, take Pheobe and Val and pull Kat's ass out of the fire." She told us. "I'll take the rest and get us a ride, meet me at the motor pool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that! Next chapter is extremely short, setting up the introduction of a new character!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kennedy prepares to counterattack the motor pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! This is an extremely short Chapter, but it's just a set up for the next chapter where a new character will take the reigns. Enjoy!

Major Kennedy

****

"Come on ladies! Double time it!" I shouted as I lead my small group of loyalists towards the motor pool. "Get the mortars in position!" I shouted as we ran. "Lieutenant, you hold a team here to cover the mortars in case we get flanked. And get a line to our armor!"

"Yes Ma'am!" She saluted before getting a small fire team together. We heard the roar of heavy bolters, and the thundering of heavy ordinance as the motor pool was turned into a frantic tank battle.

"Ma'am, I have the armored command for you." I heard in my commbead.

"Patch me through." I told her as we got closer to the smoke filled buildings.

"Who is this?" I heard a voice ask obviously annoyed at being interrupted from her battle. I came to expect this from treadheads at this point.

"This is Kennedy, I have loyalists with me, we're here to help! And who am I speaking to?"

"Alicia Bellhouse, charmed." The tanker replied dryly.

"What's your strength Alicia?"

"Not enough! I have me and another Russ, five sentinels, and a half dozen chimeras. I also have some three Lemans worth of pissed off tankers and some cog priests." She replied before cursing as I heard a heavy stubber chatter in the background. "What're your girls packing?"

"We have a lascannon team, and a couple grenade launchers." I informed her. "What does the opposing force look like?"

"At least four Russ, though from what I can tell, the majority of the crews aren't trained with them. They also have a couple scouts sentinels running around here somewhere."

"Can you send me a crew or two, to my position?" I asked her. "I think I might be able to get you another Russ."

"Gladly."


	5. Diamond Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellhouse leads a group of loyalist tankers to destroy the enemy armor in the claustrophobic motor pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Yet another new point of view character! I haven't read many books with tank battles, so I'm relying heavily on Guants Ghosts here. Let me know what you think!

Alicia Bellhouse

****

"Lascannon ready Ma'am!" Bionda, my driver yelled over the loud autoloader as it sent a red hot shell casing into water making it hiss. I always loved that noise, it meant Diamond Eyes had just dispensed the wrath of the Emperor on some nameless scum.

"Prepare to fire las and one sponson on my target!" I checked my auspex as I relayed the position of a sentinel that was trying to run closer to get it's rocket launcher closer. I smiled as my hair stood on end, I caught a whiff of ozone, and the lascannon made a sound like a huge axe cleaving a tree in half. Lascannon hit the left hip of the scout, causing it to seize where my left sponson finished the job as it ignited the ammo causing it to explode.

"Main is ready!" Peachy, my main gunner yelled. I sized up the situation, as we rumbled forward. We were in a open topped warehouse, where the shipping containers were stacked ten feet higher than my tank. The Deaths Kiss, another standard pattern Russ rolled next to me spraying infantry with it's heavy stubber and three heavy bolters. Two Chimeras followed us like baby water fowl, cutting down anyone stupid enough to face their heavy bolters and multilasers. Diamond Eyes was easily the finest tank on the planet, with a lascannon and ancient plasma cannons, it was a tank hunter, and so were my crew and I. I spotted a squad of mercenaries look behind themselves, cheer, and immediately try to run to the next row of containers. I auspexed the opening they had been at. Only one thing made infantry that excited.

"Overcharge the plasmas on my spot! Hold the Las to finish the kill!" I gripped the hatch tightly, waiting for a clear shot. The Leman Russ came around the corner at a laughably slow speed, with its side presenting a target that would make any gunner smile. "Fire plasma!" The heat from the two balls of blue plasma caused my skin to tingle like a flamer tan. One shot hit the turret and turned the hull bright red, but hadn't hit anything vital. The same couldn't be said for the second shot that hit the sponson heavy bolter in the side, punching through the weaker armoring. The explosion caused the tank to jerk around. "Kiss, fire main! Aim for the sponson!" I voxed. Familiar thunderous sound was better than a lo stick after a long day. The round hit the side and punched through the already decent sized hole. The tank exploded, shrapnel sliced through infantry that was too close to the metal behemoth. "Nice shot Jessie!" I nodded to the young tanker. I saw a lot of potential in the girl when she joined a year ago. She would probably replace me as commander soon.

"Bellhouse, this is Kennedy." I tapped my microbead.

"I read you."

"You can strike two Russ off the enemy list, we've reclaimed a Punisher and knocked out the Exterminator." She informed me.

"That's good news. Follow my crew once they've saddled up and try to clear the chaff out of this warehouse, I'll finish their armor." I told her.

"Happy hunting." She responded as I heard a squealing of tires. I swung my turret to meet this threat but the Kiss was in my way.

"On your right!" I shouted but it was too late. A blinding flash carved into the side of the tank, taking out the tracks and the right gun. I saw the attacking vehicle was a mining machine, and on its front where whirling blades. The Kiss barely got a shot off which hit square but it didn't do anything but blow part of the ram off. Suddenly a piercing whine made me go white just before a high velocity shell ripped through the front of the Kiss. The shell detonated as the tank bulged pouring smoke, they were dead, and I knew it.

"Evasive maneuvers!" I shouted just before an other shell hit below the turret. I heard a gurgled scream, as the tank spun quickly and we speed into the nearest isle with our front to the trio of tanks. My leg buckled underneath me as I fell into the tank. I looked down and saw that Peachy had been ripped apart by shrapnel from the hit to the side. I looked down and realized why I had fallen, my leg that was now numb, had fallen down on to one of my side gunners laps. I blinked at my stump as it spurted blood.

"Ma'am!" Danver shouted as she grabbed our small medkit that we kept in the tank. She quickly applied a tourniquet to the stub as I started to feel light headed.

"Give me pain killers and a stimm!" I snapped at the poor young girl. "We still have a job to do!" My hair suddenly stood on end as I tasted metal in my mouth and then a searing heat hit me from the side.

"Ha!" Bionda cried out. "That's for Jessie!" She growled.

"Good shot girls!" I smiled as the painkillers hit. I hauled myself to kneel over Peachy's body. "So they have a vanquisher and another battle cannon, we can deal with the one easy, but that Vanquisher knows what it's doing." I said before hauling myself on to one foot so I could spot again.

"They'll be hunting us now. Where should we go Ma'am?" Bionda asked me.

"The last place they expect us, full throttle forward." I told her. "We target the vanquisher first, then we take on the last Russ." I told them. "Also sooth the machine spirits, we're about to over charge again." We slowed slightly as we neared the corner. "Weapons on line! For Peachy!" I shouted as we rounded the corner. We nearly rammed the Battle Tank as we came around the corner nearly missing it as I spotted the tank killer slowly moving up to support the other tank. I read the auspex and felt the turret swivel. Thuuum! The shake make my bones and organs rattle, but it made me feel better than any lover. The shell hit the turret, and ripped the cannon clean off as the lascannon and one of the plasmas tore through the side causing the tank to billow smoke.

Danver saved all of our lives. She turned her plasma cannon on the battle tank and hit its hull mounted bolter. The impact was enough to force the shot high. She also yanked me down by my foot before the shell hit the back of our turret.

"Frakk!" Danvers cursed as her sponson overheated, throwing up smoke as the machine spirit chattered angrily.

"Turn to face!" I shouted as I looked at the auspex for the main cannon but it was down.

"The engine is out!" Bionda shouted as she tried to get us running again.

"Get me a new shell then!" I shouted but I saw the problem. The loader had taken a hit, causing the shell to be halfway through the loading belt. I leaned down and barely was able to lift the hefty shell. "Get me manual control!" Suddenly the huge weight shifted the tank as the tank moaned in pain, my leg throbbed sympathetically. I manhandled the shell into the loader and closed it.

"You have manual but no the auspex!"

"I don't need it!" I snapped as I pulled myself up. They turret moaned is shrieked in protest as I turned towards the other tank. I spotted my target and leaned down to grab the firing mechanism. I felt like time slowed down as the shell slammed into the melted hull mounted weapon and detonated inside the other tank. I let out a cheer before dropping back into the tank. "Good job ladies…" I smiled as I felt tired. "Now I'm going to just take a nap…" I mumbled.

"Oh no you don't!" I heard a voice far away say as arms went around my chest and pulled me out of my tank. "Stay with me commander." A soft velvety voice said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the tank battle! Please feel free to leave a comment and help me get better at armor combat sequences! Next chapter will be a quick piece from the treadhead's savior!


	6. Inspecting the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madsen makes contact with Kennedy before inspecting the weak lines that protect the command center. The Lord Commissar ends up in a deadly dance with a group of vile Aberrants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Finally back to see what the new found Lord Commissar is doing to consolidate her forces. Enjoy!

Lord Commissar Madsen

****

“My Lady!” One of the vox ops called my name. I was meeting with Scars and the local Arbiter Commander, discussing how best to use what we had to hold the hab block around our building. 

“Do you have something for me?” I asked her. She had been trying to contact any loyal forces that we had left for the last eight hours. We had found several small fragments but the only whole force so far was the sioratias order on the other side of planet.

“I have made contact with fairly large force at outpost 278B. One Lieutenant Kennedy has led a group of loyalist troops in securing the outpost. She reports having a hundred women with heavy weapons, chimeras, two Leman Russ, and a small contingent of hospliters.”

“That’s good, how quickly can she get here?” I asked her.

“Well if she pushes the chimeras, she could maybe get here in three days.” 

“We’ll all be dead by then.” I said darkly.

“But there might be another way. High command has a lander that is stationed here in case of command needed to evacuate. It’s not huge, but it could transport a handful of armor and the soldiers that Kennedy has.” I smiled at her. 

“Good job! Get me a vox to this Kennedy.” I told her making her nod and hurriedly put her through my microbead. “Is this Lieutenant Kennedy?” 

“I’m here, who is this?” The voice crackled over to link.

“This is the Lord Commissar.” I told her briefly. “Use code name Fist from now on. You will be Fall.”

“Copy that Fist. I hope this is news on a transport?”

“Roger that Fall. We have a transport that will be sent at once. Speed is the key here.”

“I’ll have the girls ready to board as soon as the bird touches the ground.” 

“Bring the heavy armor, but you will probably have to abandon some.”

“We’ll leave presents and take all the lead we can.”

“Good to hear.” I told her. “Stand by for details.” 

“Roger that.” I looked over at the vox op who was on the vox again. 

“I have the pilot now, he’s going through pre-checks.” She told me.

“Very good.” I nodded before turned to the two burly women standing by the door. “Gemini.”

“Ma’am!” They saluted. I noticed that one had picked up a plasma gun.

“I want you on that carrier, check the pilot for taint before lift off, and get the Lieutenant up to speed.” I told them.

“Ma’am, I can do that, please keep Gennia with you.” 

“Ali…” He sister started to argue but her sister would not have it.

“No, we’re going to need your heavy weapon here, not with me on an escort.” 

“You are right Alician.” I nodded before making the sign of the aquilia. “The Emperor Protects.” I said as she made the sign. 

“May He protect you Ma’am.” She said before heading to the door. 

“Ma’am.” I heard a smooth voice say making me turn. Scars was standing there next to a short figure in a cloak. I shivered as I saw the hooded figure, immediately sensing the unnatural warp taint on the man. He wore a grey blue robe, and was pencil thin. “This is the head Astropath of the Alutine Choir.” 

“A pleasure to meet you my lord.” He made the sign of the Aquilia as I did the same.

“And you.” I lied. “Why have you come to speak with me?” 

“I have news from the tides of the warp. My brothers and I have detected two ships coming into real space.” He said. “It seems our message for aid has been heard.”

“Praise the Golden Throne!” I smiled turning to the vox operator again. “Can you get me a secure link to these ships?”

“I’ll see Ma’am.” She said.

“From what little we can tell, one ship is of the Adeptus Astartes.”

“The Emperor's Angels of Death are here?” I asked amazed as he nodded. “We truly are blessed.” 

“I have one of the ships Ma’am!” I ran over and scooped up the headset. I heard a quiet voice in the back.

“The clearance checks out.” It said.

“Good.” A man’s voice replied in the background. 

“Please identify yourself.” The woman’s voice requested. 

“This is Lord Commissar Madsen in command of the 167th Alutine. Or what’s left of it.” I added without even think about it. The line was quiet for a minute before a mans voice came on.

“Congratulations on the promotion Ma’am.” His voice was conversational. “This is Captain Steele of the 101st Mountain Division, we are inbound to orbit.” 

“I read a strike class vessel, could you please identify?” I asked confused by the man as he sounded very young and almost upbeat.

“Oh yes, that would be Captain Sendini of the Blood Angels Fifth Company. He will be assisting the Sisters in the southern hemisphere, while I will be dropping my boys in to help you.” The man’s High Gothic was borderline horrendous and was peppered with low gothic. “What is your situation?”

“We are holding the High Command building in the capital. There has been no full scale assaults yet, but the arbites have reported minor firefights on the perimeter. More units are in bound.” 

“Understood. My goal is to get as many of your loyal forces off the planet as I can. Unfortunately, the cult is already transmitting the beacon.” I paled.

“Are you suggesting what I think you are?” I asked the man.

“Unfortunately my lord, one of the Baal slivers is already heading towards here. We don’t have much time. Please send us positions and estimations of numbers for every loyalist group you know of.”

“Understood.” I said before giving the women the headset. 

“Is something wrong Ma’am?” She asked seeing my face but I shook my head. 

“No. Send them all of the information that we have on troop positions.” I told her before walking away. I felt as if I had failed this planet, but if what Steele had said was true, this was what was best for the Imperium. 

****

I paced behind the makeshift barricade as the mixed force of arbites, pdf, and security personal. We had even taken nearby workers and armed them with autoguns. I was inspecting our ragtag defenses to identify the weak points, while also bolstering moral of the men and women manning the defenses. Gennia shadowed me, glaring at the street as if daring the enemy to attack. This was not surprising as I knew that the twins hated to be separated. She had a backpack vox unit on, and was toting her plasma gun.

“As you can see Ma’am, we’ve done the best that we can with what we have.” The Arbitrator in charge of the group told me. Despite his admirable attempts to hide it, he was obviously terrified to be under the scrutinizing gaze of the Officio Perfectus, as any sane citizen of the Imperium should be. The others were constantly trying to discreetly look back at me but the other officers did a decent job of keeping them looking where the threat would come from. 

“The position is weak.” I told him making him pale. “But no weaker than the others, and none will improve until we get reinforcements.” I said making him release a shaky breath.  
“You will hold this…” I started but was cut off by a sound like a snapping stick. Gennia, the few arbitrators on the line and I instinctively ducked into cover. The others didn’t have our instincts. One looked over the wall, looking for the source of the sound.

“What was th…?” The mans question was cut off as a ruby red lasbolt flashed through his head, dropping him to the ground with his head still steaming. Many of our makeshift defenders cried in fright as lasgun shots were joined by the pops of autoguns. 

“Keep your damned heads down!” Gennia snapped at the fools trying to sneak a peek. 

“Ready your guns!” The head Arbitrator commanded as they fumbled with their weapons. One woman crouched and emptied an entire clip into the dark alleyway, with less accuracy than an ork. I grabbed her gun and shoulder to yank her down with a yelp before an autogun burst could cut her in half.

“You’re wasting ammunition!” I snapped as she cowered. “You’re wasting the Emperors resources you fool! Find a target, line up the shot and them fire three to four shots, then get down!” I instructed her. “Do you hear me?” I snapped making her nod through tears as I reloaded the rifle and shouldered it. I popped up and took three carefully aimed bursts that dropped three separate mutants. I handed her the rifle back and pulled my bolt pistol, as the shrapnel would do more good than the punch of the plasma pistol. She popped up and managed to at least wing a cultist were he was an easy target for another shooter. 

We had already lost half of our defenders, but the ones who were left, were making smart use of cover and were aiming their shots. The amount of incoming fire was dropping as I heard a shuffling getting closer. I shot a gunner out of a window, sending his crumpled body falling. 

“Do you hear that?” One of the men asked as the shuffling got closer. “What is…” The barricade exploded crushing the man under the weight of it. Gennia was knocked back by the blow, as a gang of behemoths lumbered through the breach. They had ash grey skin that bulged with muscle, covering their horribly disfigured hunched frames. They carried heavy hammers and pickaxes in their two normal arms. Each had a chitinous third arm that was tipped with razor sharp talons. The men in the area of the breech weren’t stunned for long before pickaxes mercilessly impaled them. The arbitrator tried to rally those around him as he fired as it with his shotgun. One shot hit one in the joint of one of its three arms causing it to break off but didn’t stop the hammer strike that turned the brave man into a red mist. 

I dropped my bolt pistol and pulled my plasma pistol. I fired and hit the one that was raising his hammer out of the remains of the commander in the chest. It shrieked but stayed up right making my eyes widen. I charged forward activating the power field on my power fist. It lunged for me, but I easily sidestepped it and slammed the fist into its jaw, crushing it in one hit. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye making me leap back, but I was too slow. The pickax swung and hit me full in the chest launching me back. I groaned and staggered to my feet as I spit up some blood. My chest felt like it was on fire as the blow hadn’t pierced my armor, but the hit was still enormous and I struggled to suck in each breath. I danced aside another swipe from a talon and fired a shot of plasma into the culprit sending it reeling with its chest scorched. I stepped into the last one and slammed my fist into its gut but it only staggered a couple feet despite the blow being enough to snap a normal man in half. I dodged its claw but the hammer came down towards me unnaturally fast. It struck my energy field with a thunderclap and arches of energy making me thank the Emperor. I slammed into him again, this time aiming for the head. It broke apart in a satisfying shower of bone and gore. I turned and fired my pistol point blank into the other abomination that had recovered. Its smoking corpse hit the ground with a wet slap. I scanned over the partially destroyed barricade and saw that there was nothing. 

I found Gennia getting up gingerly from where she had been smashed against a wall by the abominations that had broken through. 

“You good to fight?” I asked as she brushed herself off. 

“It’s going to take more than that to stop me.” She growled as picked up her plasma gun. 

“Get on the line and see if this was one push or an actual assault.” I told her making her nod as I started to take stock of the remaining defenders. We had at least three Arbites, a hand full of serfs, and around two dozen civilians. I saw a crowd around a civilian.

“W-What were those things?” The man that was curled up on the ground shaking stammered. 

“I don’t know, but they’re gone!” One man tried comforting the man, but I had seen men like him many times in my career. 

“We can’t fight those! We need to get the hell out of here! Frakk this!” He shoved the others out of the way as he tried to run but froze when he saw me standing at my full height. While I normally would be an inch or two shorter than him, he was bunched up like a cowering rat while I stood in the black and red of my office, making me dwarf everyone here. 

“You will do no such thing.” I told him with authority making my voice have the weight of a Leman Russ. “You all will stay and protect your homes.” I glared at him as he shrank further under my gaze. His gaze was still that of a cornered animal when he tried to charge me. By the time he made his second step, his head was gone. I lowered my bolt pistol menacingly.

The crowd was shocked. Of course, every Emperor fearing citizen knew a commissars job, but they never imagined how quick, brutal, and cold hearted it was. They stared at me, covered in the gore of the coward as his body fell at my feet, my pistol still smoking.

“Some think I execute good men,” I started as I kept the pistol at my side. “But that is untrue. I only exterminate vermin, cowardly rats that would let worlds fall just so they don’t have to do what Our Lord on Terra requires of us: Cleanse the heretic and xeno. So I have just cleansed you all of a danger to your planet, your families, and your Imperium.” Their eyes watched me fearfully. “So I will ask you this now. Are you loyal servants of the Golden Throne?” They all quickly nodded with terror in their eyes. “Then take up your weapons!”  
I snapped as they hurried to do such. “Take heart in what your fellow servants of the Emperor have martyred themselves to do. They have protected your families and your homes!” I told them as they rushed to fill the gap in the barrackade. “Ask yourselves, will you tarnish their memory by letting their sacrifice be in vain?” They quickly took up their positions as I heard Gennia approach from behind me. 

“Report.” I commanded simply as my chest was starting to ache as the adrenaline began to wear off making it hurt to breath, much less speak. 

“The attacks seem to have been at every position. We have held, but it seems that they didn’t want to puncture our lines yet.” 

“They are testing us and hoping to sow the seeds of terror into our defense.” I growled lightly. “Cowardly xeno strategies. And what of reinforcements?”

“Forty five minute eta for Fall. The 101st have reported that they are engaged with rogue SDF forces but they have sent transports planetside for evac. The Captain plans to lead a company to reinforce us personally from the sounds of it.” 

“Where does he plan to set down?” 

“The center courtyard, the only place large enough for that kind of transports.” She responded making me nod. 

“Direct all forces to pull back to the courtyard, that's where we will make our stand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Commissar's doing what commissars do best. Next chapter is the beginning of the last stand. Stay tuned for that! As always, feed back is always welcome!


	7. Hold the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 167th stages a last stand, with reinforcements of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Decided to go back to Valerie's point of view. Hope you enjoy it!

Valerie

****

“Forces are in position!” Katie reported to Kennedy who nodded grimly. She had to shout to be heard over the three tanks that had formed a tight fan in front of the raised platform that the Planetary Governor would have addressed the people from. I stood on the platform checking over the Lord Commissar who shouted orders impatiently as I tended to her injuries. I was flanked by the two large women that the Commissar referred to collectively as the gemini. They stood by her sides, wearing identical grim looks. I was   
still in my full hospliteer equipment so I stood out from the sea of blue and white around me. 

“I can’t do anything about the ribs, but I can give you a stimm so you won’t feel it.” I told her making her grunt. 

“That will do Sister.” She said making me wince. 

“Just a trooper Ma’am.” I muttered as I injected a stimm into her arm. 

“Val, check on Bellhouse!” Kennedy commanded seeing that I had finished with the Commissar. 

“Yes Ma’am!” I saluted before jogging down the stairs, weaving through the heavy weapons teams that linked the tanks together in their arc. I found the most beat up tank which was still missing a large part of the back of the turret, but it seemed to be working well enough, and the stubborn rotund tank commander refused to leave it. I scrambled up my way up the treads to the turret. “Ma’am!” I greeted the woman as she was stroking her tank and whispering to it.

“Sister.” She shot back again making me flinch. She was sitting on a piece of wood that she had shoved in the tank so she could sit without her leg. 

“Can you feel your leg?” I asked as I looked at the rough metal cap that ended her stump at the knee. 

“What the hell kinda question is that?” She snapped. “It’s still in a medical tent somewhere!” 

“Do you…” I was cut off by a lasgun shot that went straight up. The constant chatter suddenly died out leaving only the humming of the engines that I was on. 

“This is our moment!” A loud amplified voice shouted. “We shall rise and welcome the Star Gods!” I heard a roar of human and inhuman voices shout.

“The blasphemous xeno worshipping mutants are upon us, kill them all! Suffer not the xeno to live!” The amplified voice of the Commissar countered followed by a cry from our lines. 

“Too late for a checkup!” Bellhouse shouted as the turret twisted towards the sound of gunfire from the nearest alleyway, almost launching me. I gripped the side of her turret basket as I dropped into a crouch. A grey vehicle raced into view as a flamer on it shot a gout of flame into our lines. “Target the vehicle!” She shouted. 

“Target acquired!” Someone shouted up from the interior.

“Fire!” She shouted just in time for me to tighten my grip. BOOM! The sound hit me like the light heat wave that made my skin tingle. My arms absorbed the shock like tuning forks. I fumbled to get stimm in my gauntlet as the battlelines exploded into systematic yet sporadic firing. My arms felt like they were blurring with movement. I jammed the needle into her arm just before the turret swiveled again. The tanker cursed at my less than careful application as I scrambled off the turret as it took another shot, shaking my gut painfully. I stumbled as I landed and had to catch myself with my arms. A series of thuds sent tiny aftershocks into my stomach as the clump of mortars were sent shells flying. I couldn’t really hear the familiar crump of them firing, but felt it as my ears were still ringing. I regained my feet and started to run through the lines as my hearing started to return. A blur flew past me into an heavy weapons squad in front of me. The explosion that followed knocked me on my back as the squad was ripped apart. I rolled over and petalled backward from the bikes that were racing towards me. My hair stood on end as I tasted metal as a blue crackling light arched over me and blasted the riders from their mounts, writhing on the ground in agony. I quickly got to my feet to see a withered old man, that stunk of the warp making me back away. 

“You are safe Sister.” He croaked making me clench my fists. I refused to be saved by a mutant like him. But suddenly I had a bigger problem as his head exploded in a shower of gore making me duck instinctively and curse. I turned and scanned the chaotic scene for the marksman who had killed the pysker with practiced skill. I spotted a woman on a bike as she slung her rifle on to her back and speed away.

“Veria!” I snapped over my line as I sprinted, firing the occasional potshot as I went. 

“What?” She replied tensely as she was obviously firing. 

“Sniper! On a bike!” I shouted as I panted. 

“Got it!” She replied as she knelt at the front of the platform as I passed her. 

“Madsen, Kennedy, sniper!” I shouted making the twins shove the Commissar behind a barricade as I nearly tackled Kennedy into cover. As we hit the ground, the wall that been behind my commander had a foot wide chunk blown out of it. 

“Damn she’s good!” Veria grunted as a shot whizzed over the assassins head as she was already repositioning. 

“Well be better!” Madsen snapped, obviously hating that she had to hide. 

“Don’t distract me!” She said making the Commissar fume as she added. “Ma’am!” She squeezed the trigger and I saw a plum of fire as her shot went straight into the bikes gas tank. “Ha! I’m the best sniper around here!” She shouted gesturing rudely towards the immolated body. 

“That’s my girl!” Kennedy smiled as she stood as Katie listened to her commbead. 

“The relief force is inbound Ma’ams. ETA fifteen minutes.” She told the two commanders who nodded. 

“Good.” The Commissar said as she shot into a crowd of three armed mutants that were getting too close. Suddenly an explosion made us all duck reflexively as one of the Leman Russ tanks was hit with what looked like a mining explosive. “Frakk!” She cursed as the tanks were the linchpin of our lines. 

“We need those reinforcements yesterday!” Kennedy shouted before she was cut off by a massive impact in between us and the commissar. We all looked in horror at the massive beast that towered over us even when crouched. It slowly drew up to its full height giving a sudden sense of dread. Its tail was as thick as a battle cannon, with a foot long speartip on it. Its four arms were made of two long chitin covered segments that were longer than I was tall were tipped with two feet long claws. Its mouth was large enough to consume one of us whole in one bite, filled with rows of teeth the size of combat knives. It hissed and swung its tail, knocking me, Kennedy, and Katie on our backs. It raised a single arm to attack when a salvo of lasbolts hit it in the back of its bulbous head making it hiss in annoyance as it thrust its claw forward to grab the lasgun totting gemini making her sister cry out. It quickly shoved the poor woman into its mouth and ripped the top half of her body into its mouth, complete with the gore covered spinal column as it threw the legs away as it swallowed its prize in one smooth movement. The outraged women screamed in pure hatridge as she fire a ball of plasma into its chest, burning the thick riblike armor. It hissed again and back handed the woman away, sending her at least twenty feet before she hit the ground with a sickening crunch. 

“By the Emperor…” I muttered looking at the huge monstrosity in front of me as it turned towards me. I raised my pistol and fired at it but it hardly noticed the hits.

“Frakk this!” Pheobe shouted as she opened up with her heavy flamethrower. I scrambled to my feet as Veria grabbed Katie who was paralyzed with fear. 

“I got her!” I snapped throwing the slight vox op over my shoulder as Veria took a shot as she back petaled. 

“Fall back!” Kennedy shouted at us after it dodged her plasma pistol easily as it started to charge us. I started to run as fast as I could with the cumbersome load of the woman on my shoulder. I could just drop her, might buy us a few seconds. I thought but shook my head, no one deserved to be ripped apart by that thing. I turned when I realized we hadn’t been caught and saw why. While it was distracted with us, Madsen had used the opportunity to her advantage. 

She was somehow on its armored back, holding onto one of the spines that came out of it. Her fist smashed into its back making it screech as a large part of its back buckled under the lightning wreathed impact of her powerfist. I heard a screeching call of at least a hundred voices as the cultist surged to help their twisted idol. And we were right in the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting desperate for the 167th! But reinforcements are on their way! Hope you're enjoying it so far! Comments are welcome!


	8. Exfiltration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Steele drops into help the besieged 167th, but will he be able to get to them in time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I couldn't resist having a chapter with the Captain! Enjoy!

Captain Steele

****

I didn’t like what I saw from the dropship as I flew over. An ocean of chitin and twisted flesh surrounded the island of blue, white, and red women as they held a desperate defense. 

“Drop us in!” I shouted at the pilot of my valkyrie as he looked at me like I was psychotic. 

“There is not safe spot to drop you sir!” He shouted back. 

“Do I look like I like safe?” I snapped pointing to my metal arm. 

“Your funeral!” He snapped as he pulled the ship into hover. 

“Go and support the 167th once I’m gone!” I told him before tapping my commbead. “We’re dropping here boys!” I told the others in my company. “I’ll clear a hole!” I said before cocking my shotgun as my checked my straps while walking to the side door were the men in front of me parted to let me through.

“Remember to leave some for us.” Sargent Zimmerman joked as he strapped his pistol to his hip as I shrugged my shotgun on to my back. 

“You know I’m not good at sharing.” I smiled before the door opened and the rope was deployed. I jumped on to the rope and slide down quickly trying to make the most of the element of surprise. As soon as my boots hit the pavement, I had my shotgun in my hands as the cultist turned to meet me. I quickly started firing rounds into them, knocking them into their comrades, disrupting the lines as I did it. My shots were quickly joined by others as the Lucky Thirteens flanked me on both sides. Three meltas scythed through ranks of xenos as one man opened up with the heavy flamer quickly burning away the squad. 

“Steele!” Jensen shouted as my command squad jogged through the assembling mass of infantry of Easy Company.

“Nice of you to join me.” I said as we started into the large courtyard were the main battle seemed to be. As we rounded the corner we were met with two figures surrounded by more cuitists with a mix of scavenged guns. The two men were a sight to behold. The more normal looking one was a tall man in majestic high end red robe with a large hood. His forehead had ridges of boned armor that were purple, his skin was a purplish hue. He held a large rod with a large stone set in it that, even to my untrained eye, radiated the energy of the Warp. The second man was a hideous abomination. He had the same purple skin and forehead but where the one was of a noble look this one was a brutal leader. It had a tube up his nose, and three arms, each with a different threat. One held a haphazard pistol, under that arm was another one holding a sword while the third on the other side was large claws on his fingers.

“Zimmerman, take these cultists.” I told him as I turned. “Johnson, toss me your sword.” He threw me his chainsword which I held easily.

“You have interfered with the coming of the Star Gods!” The man with the staff proclaimed. “You shall die for this interruption!” The psyker raised his hand and lightning struck out but before I could do anything the lighting was blocked by an invisible barrier. I turned and saw my regiments psyker standing next to me with his hand up and blue energy flickering from his eyes. He was an older man with giant gray bushy eyebrows and goatee.

“I can handle this witch Captain.” The older Psyker told me as I nodded.

“Then I will deal with the abomination.” I grinned swinging my blades as I reved the chainblade. The three armed man fired his pistol but the small barbs were just caught in my armor. “Nice try, my turn!” I shouted as I sliced the chainsword through his gun, breaking it in half. I stabbed my relic blade but he glanced it to the side and slashed at me. I managed to jump back a little out of the way. I blocked a strike from his sword before stabbing with my knife which was deflected by his claws so I spun on my heel and kicked him in the chest sending him wheeling back. I went on the offensive and managed to land a solid hit which sheared one of his arms off. The xeno filth screeched in pain before my sword met the flesh of his neck causing his head to thump as it fell to the ground.

I smiled before a bolt of electricity arched in front of me making me jump back and swing my head around. The two psykers were in a brutal duel swinging their staffs which met in showers of sparks and lightning. Neither could seem to land a blow but it didn’t deter them from trying to smash each other into oblivion. I saw something skitter past and towards the combat. It looked like a bony, purpleish, clawed monkey that’s head was just a smaller version of its masters.

“Look out!” I shouted as it jumped with claws slashing in midair. He managed to catch the beast in the chest with the staff but its long limbs swung forward and made contact with his face making him scream in pain. He clutched at his face as the other psyker laughed as he raised his staff. I sprinted and slammed into the man with my robotic shoulder. He was sent skidding back doubled over so I went for the kill with my blade but he stood quickly as he brought his staff around and caught me in the chin. I felt like I had been uppercutted by a nob as my feet left the ground. I landed on my back and skidded across the rubble before smashing into a wall with a crack that I think was a rib making me curse.

“Now you will pay for interfering!” The xeno hissed as it held out its hand which crackled. Suddenly I saw a blur behind him before its head exploded in a grenade of pure gore. I grimaced as I stood as the body fell to its knees then fell on its side. Half of the psykers face was covered in blood as was his staff that he had swung and decapitated the xeno psyker with. I wiped some of the viscera from my face as I asked him.

“You okay?” I asked him as he nodded but he shuttered suddenly. “You sure…” He waved me off.

“I feel something in the warp, it’s the cause of this!” He said as he pointed up to the bunker. I saw the small group of girls that were left that we were supposed to save, fighting back cultists in an arced formation around their Lord Commissar. One had goggles on as she smiled blasting her enemies with burning promethium. One had a sniper rifle which she was using at point blank range with ruthless efficiency as I could see another cultists head explode from the massive slug that sometimes ripped through another one behind the first victim. Another, who seemed to be a Sister of Battle was knelt down helping a wounded girl as the last one was using her power sword and plasma pistol in a stunning dance of death. But the most impressive was the commissar who was currently trying to duck and weave through four giant clawed arms. She managed to close the range and slam her crackling power fist into the beasts hip causing it to stagger back. I saw a scuttering hoard of what I easily identified as purestrains we head toward the command squad.

“They’ll be slaughtered!” Jenson cried as I grabbed the horn.

“Heavy weapons, concentrate fire of the genestealers!” I shouted as I jogged forward with the Lucky Thirteens. As we got closer, five rockets streaked past us and exploded, unleashing showers of shrapnel which cut down a large number of the genestealers. As they died the Patriarch turned towards us, assessing this new threat.

“For Toresten!” I heard the commissar shout as the monster looked up confused. It probably regretted that as it was met with the sight of the surprisingly small Commissar leaping towards it off the bunker with her jacket and brunette hair fluttering in the wind. Her power fist was wound up and was lined up to take its jaw of but its hand came up at the last second connecting with the fist. The creatures arm snapped, sending splinters of bone and ichor flying as he screeched in anguish. Before it could recover she slammed into its chest and I could hear the xenos bones and armoring crack under the hit.

It recovered and slashed with blinding speed, some bouncing off armor, some being turned aside by the crackling energy field around the Commissar but several hit their mark before it backhanded her into the side of the bunker. She got back up shakily as she swung for its head again but instead hit an elbow with a crack breaking it backward while her pistol caught its mark in the chest making it roar in pain. Suddenly Zimmerman sprinted past and smashed into the thing from behind as it tried buck him off. He swung his fist down and there was a meat smack and squelch as xeno gray matter spurted out of the sides like jelly as it shuttered and managed to dislodge Zimmerman who was sent several feet back as the Commissar stood shakily as the massive beast made its way towards her despite the horrific damage that had destroyed three of its arms. She charged up her pistol and fired a single shot into its head causing it to finally drop to the ground in a heap. A shriek went up from the ranks of cultists as they suddenly started to run from the battered lines back into my fresh lines that started firing fuselages of lasbolts into the enemy. The Commissar smirked, staggered then collapsed to the ground. Instead of gloating over the kill, Zimmerman rushed to the Commissars side and was quickly joined by the hospliteer. I finally got a good look at the commissar and I had to admit, she was pretty, but she’d probably shoot me for saying so. She had some blood on her face but other than that, it seemed to be untouched by war. 

“She’s alive, but pretty banged up.” The medic muttered than looked at Zimmerman. “Do you have medical facilities?” She asked as he nodded.

“We have a ship in orbit, I can have a transport in five minutes.” I said as she nodded. I turned to the smaller woman who had a power saber and a plasma pistol who was shouting orders at a squad of mortars. “You in charge?” I asked her making her turn. 

“Yes. You’re Steele I’m guessing?” She asked making me nod. “You have a exfil strategy, Captain?” 

“Yes, I have a troop transport on the way, we just need to clear this LZ.” I told her before I grabbed the Lucky Thirteens vox op and started belting out orders. 

“What’s the ETA?” She shouted over the gunfire. 

“Five minutes!” I answered firing my pistol into a fleeing cultist. “They’re in retreat, get your ladies ready for embarking, get the armor out of the square so they can saddle up easy.”

“We won’t have time to strap the armor in, we’ll be sitting ducks!” She protested. 

“We’ll take off as soon as everyone is in, and we’ll get the strapped before we hit the atmosphere.” I assured her. 

“That sounds risky!” She commented making me smirk. 

“Air dropping into an angry mob is risky, yet here we are!” I grinned. “Risky is what we do Ma’am, welcome to the 101st!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! That's pretty much the end of the fall of Alutine! (Or at least the 167ths involvement in it) Due to the regiment being so small, the 167th will be absorbed into the 101st. The integration of the two forces will be detailed in a different story, so keep a look an eye out for that! I hope you enjoyed the piece, and please feel free to let me know what you thought of the piece!


End file.
